Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The costs of food consumes a large part of the weekly budget – but there are many ways to make the most of dollars we spend.

Now the is weather is getting warmer why not make some salads at home and have a selection ready to go in the fridge?

And with Daylight Saving here, the barbecue season begins, with thoughts of dusting off old barbecue or buying a new one. The higher costs of the meat can often be off-set by bulking up on salads. There are many types of salads you can prepare with just a few items from your pantry.

This week's recipe goes well with grilled meats. It's a cauliflower salad with a mustard herb and caper dressing. With one large cauliflower you can make this delicious salad, which can accompany your grilled lamb or steak. It's also great with cold meat, such as corned beef or ham.

Cauliflower salad

Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, cut into sprigs
1 Tbsp mild curry powder
2 Tbsp mild prepared mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2-3 drops Worcester sauce
150-200 ml prepared mayonnaise
4 gherkins, chopped
1 Tbsp capers
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Method
Blanch the cauliflower in boiling, salted water briefly then refresh with cold water and drain well. Mix the brown sugar, mustard, curry powder, Worcester sauce with a little hot water. Add to the mayonnaise with capers, parsley and gherkins. Season the cauliflower and stir in the sauce so the cauliflower is well coated, then refrigerate until required.
This salad lasts a couple of days kept covered in the fridge.